Latest news with #TheSt.John'sMorningShow
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Controversy on the cul-de-sac: Residents, developer at odds over Margaret's Place plans
A developer is billing its plan to build a six-storey apartment building on Margaret's Place as part of the effort to ease the housing crisis — but a petition signed by 121 residents is asking St. John's city council to reject the project. John Leonard, an organizer of the petition, says residents aren't against development in the area — but they are against the current proposal. "Given the concerns that exist with historical problems, maintenance problems, servicing problems, fire protection and snow clearing and so on and so forth, we say 'Please listen, this is a problem,'" Leonard told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show. Stonemount Enterprises Ltd. is proposing a 60-unit apartment building and eight new townhouses at the end of Margaret's Place, a long cul-de-sac between the Rabbittown and Georgestown neighbourhoods. Dozens of townhouses and two condo buildings already exist along Margaret's Place, which is behind Holy Heart High School and Brother Rice Junior High. City council has already granted permission for another housing development. Leonard believes the addition of the Stonemount development would qualify as "overdevelopment." He says the current street is already abnormally narrow and has ongoing congestion issues — especially during the winter. He believes the Stonemount development would exacerbate the problem, and potentially create issues for emergency vehicle access. Stonemount declined an interview request, but in a statement spokesperson Janine Walsh says the developers believe the proposal is well-aligned with the layout of the area, and will deliver "feasible and affordable" residential units. "Our intent has consistently been to work collaboratively with residents to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome," she said. However, Walsh says the developers were caught off-guard by the petition, which was presented to city council a few weeks ago. "We would have welcomed a more open and transparent approach to these discussions." Stonemount is also in a dispute with the McKee's Grove condo board over parking. "McKees Grove Condominium currently utilizes services and access points that are not supported by legal easements, and portions of their entrance and parking lot fall outside their property boundaries," Walsh said. The controversy over the Stonemount development is the latest in a seriesof disputes over housing proposals in existing neighbourhoods. In March, St. John's city council voted to exempt a proposal for a 10-storey apartment building on New Cove Road from the city's set-back requirement, despite pushback from area residents. Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O'Leary was one of just two council members to vote against the exemption, citing resident concerns. O'Leary also has concerns about the Stonemount development, and agreed to present the petition at a recent city council meeting. "This is not a typical cul-de-sac. This is something that we […] have really not seen in our city and as a result, it has caused a lot of conflict within the area," she said. Still, O'Leary says she isn't set on voting against the project. "I think really what needs to happen is a conversation," she said. She says the city already plans to widen Belvedere's Lane to create emergency vehicle access between Margaret's Place and Bonaventure Avenue. O'Leary says she's also concerned about the lack of open and green space for residents and students from the nearby schools. Currently, students use the future site of the Stonemount development to play sports. The Stonemount property also contains the former St. Michael's Convent, a registered historic structure. According to Heritage N.L., the building could be the second oldest in St. John's, but for years it's been falling into neglect. O'Leary said she's worried it could get worse. "We have seen this happen over and over again. This is going to be demolition by neglect. That's the bottom line," she said. In a followup email, Walsh said the Stonemount developers have heard from parties interested in purchasing the former convent. However, according to Walsh, the ongoing dispute has prevented that sale from proceeding. "As a result, despite our efforts to improve the property, we are currently unable to proceed, and the convent remains in its current state," she said. Walsh said Stonemount will follow the guidance of its legal counsel while considering next steps for the development. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Liberal leader hopefuls make final pitch to party voters, who'll soon tap the next N.L. premier
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey announced his resignation in February, triggering a race for the next Liberal leader. (Paul Daly/The Canadian Press) Newfoundland and Labrador will have a new premier this weekend when the Liberal Party chooses its next leader. John Abbott and John Hogan were previously in outgoing Premier Andrew Furey's cabinet, but now they're facing off as they vie for the leadership. The Liberal convention starts Friday, May 2, at the JAG Soundhouse in St. John's. The leadership race ends on Saturday, and just under 14,000 members of the provincial party registered to vote. Hogan and Abbott sat down with CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show in separate interviews to make their final case to those members. John Abbott John Abbott previously made a run for the party leadership, and says he's stacked his political portfolio since then. (Mike Rossiter/CBC) This isn't John Abbott's first go at the Liberal Party's top job. He ran against Furey in 2020 and lost, winning 34 per cent of the vote. The St. John's East-Quidi Vidi MHA is hoping for a different outcome, now with five more years of experience in his back pocket. "I've had, obviously, more visibility and exposure across the province," Abbott said Wednesday. "People know that I work hard and they want that in their premier." Abbott has criticized his opponent's campaign, describing Hogan's platform as "safe." He says he has three priorities if he becomes the province's next leader. First up is a targeted basic income for seniors. The province's 2025 budget included $4.75 million for a pilot program for those aged 60 to 64 who receive income support, but Abbott would like to implement the real thing in the next few years. Abbott's platform also includes affordable housing. The former housing minister said Newfoundland and Labrador needs 10,000 housing units by 2030. He said he'd like to improve cellular and internet service throughout the province, as well. "I don't want to be a premier that is carrying that debt and passing it on to future generations," Abbott said after being asked how those projects will be funded given the province's existing debt. "I think it is manageable based on the fiscal forecast that we already have," he said. Abbott said he is happy to have the support of six MHAs, even if Hogan has more of the current caucus on his side. At the end of the day, he said, the decision is up to the voters within the Liberal Party on May 3. John Hogan John Hogan has overseen the justice and health departments over the last several years. (Mike Rossiter/CBC) The second of the two Liberal leader hopefuls is John Hogan. Hogan was a lawyer before becoming the province's attorney general in 2021. He has since worked in ministerial roles in departments such as justice and health. When Furey stepped down in February, Hogan soon launched his campaign with the support of 11 MHAs. "It's been a real honour of a lifetime," said Hogan, reflecting on his time in Furey's cabinet. "I've very much enjoyed the work and doing what I can to help this province and help Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," he said. Hogan hopes to continue that work as the premier. He said he will help respond to Canada's current trade relationship with the United States, and will deal with the impacts tariffs have on workers and several industries in the province. The Windsor Lake MHA also said he will prioritize access to health care, especially in rural communities. "There are still gaps to be filled," he said. "We need to … make sure that ambulances are available, road and air, to all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians." Hogan added, once again, that he wants to make shingles vaccines available to every person over the age of 50. It's currently available for those 65 and older. Responding to Abbott's claim that his platform is nothing new, Hogan said he's been listening to communities and making notes of what they need and want. "The government structure needs to reflect the priorities of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," he said. Going through with the Churchill Falls plans outlined in the memorandum of understanding is a priority for Hogan too. He said the province can't afford to "drop the ball" on another megaproject. Hogan said he'll continue to push hard in his campaign for Liberal leadership until noon on Saturday, when the final vote is cast. The party will announce the winner Saturday afternoon. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
CBC
01-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Liberal leader hopefuls make final pitch to party voters, who'll soon tap the next N.L. premier
Newfoundland and Labrador will have a new premier this weekend when the Liberal Party chooses its next leader. John Abbott and John Hogan were previously in outgoing Premier Andrew Furey's cabinet, but now they're facing off as they vie for the leadership. The Liberal convention starts Friday, May 2, at the JAG Soundhouse in St. John's. The leadership race ends on Saturday, and just under 14,000 members of the provincial party registered to vote. Hogan and Abbott sat down with CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show in separate interviews to make their final case to those members. John Abbott This isn't John Abbott's first go at the Liberal Party's top job. He ran against Furey in 2020 and lost, winning 34 per cent of the vote. The St. John's East-Quidi Vidi MHA is hoping for a different outcome, now with five more years of experience in his back pocket. "I've had, obviously, more visibility and exposure across the province," Abbott said Wednesday. "People know that I work hard and they want that in their premier." Abbott has criticized his opponent's campaign, describing Hogan's platform as "safe." He says he has three priorities if he becomes the province's next leader. First up is a targeted basic income for seniors. The province's 2025 budget included $4.75 million for a pilot program for those aged 60 to 64 who receive income support, but Abbott would like to implement the real thing in the next few years. Abbott's platform also includes affordable housing. The former housing minister said Newfoundland and Labrador needs 10,000 housing units by 2030. He said he'd like to improve cellular and internet service throughout the province, as well. "I don't want to be a premier that is carrying that debt and passing it on to future generations," Abbott said after being asked how those projects will be funded given the province's existing debt. "I think it is manageable based on the fiscal forecast that we already have," he said. Abbott said he is happy to have the support of six MHAs, even if Hogan has more of the current caucus on his side. At the end of the day, he said, the decision is up to the voters within the Liberal Party on May 3. John Hogan The second of the two Liberal leader hopefuls is John Hogan. Hogan was a lawyer before becoming the province's attorney general in 2021. He has since worked in ministerial roles in departments such as justice and health. When Furey stepped down in February, Hogan soon launched his campaign with the support of 11 MHAs. "It's been a real honour of a lifetime," said Hogan, reflecting on his time in Furey's cabinet. "I've very much enjoyed the work and doing what I can to help this province and help Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," he said. Hogan hopes to continue that work as the premier. He said he will help respond to Canada's current trade relationship with the United States, and will deal with the impacts tariffs have on workers and several industries in the province. The Windsor Lake MHA also said he will prioritize access to health care, especially in rural communities. "There are still gaps to be filled," he said. "We need to … make sure that ambulances are available, road and air, to all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians." Hogan added, once again, that he wants to make shingles vaccines available to every person over the age of 50. It's currently available for those 65 and older. Responding to Abbott's claim that his platform is nothing new, Hogan said he's been listening to communities and making notes of what they need and want. "The government structure needs to reflect the priorities of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," he said. Going through with the Churchill Falls plans outlined in the memorandum of understanding is a priority for Hogan too. He said the province can't afford to "drop the ball" on another megaproject. Hogan said he'll continue to push hard in his campaign for Liberal leadership until noon on Saturday, when the final vote is cast. The party will announce the winner Saturday afternoon.
CBC
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Iceberg Alley is going to rock out at Quidi Vidi for 10 days this summer
Festival season in St. John's is full steam ahead as Iceberg Alley joins the growing list of organizations announcing its musical lineup. The Iceberg Alley Performance Tent will be open for ten nights in Quidi Vidi this summer, running from June 19-29. Old Crow Medicine Show, the band that popularized a song co-written by Bob Dylan's, Wagon Wheel, is kicking off the festival. ZZ Top is also hitting the stage, along with Mother Mother, Chilliwack and many more. Filling a ten-night schedule with dozens of musical acts isn't a simple job, says festival producer Shawn Basha. "You can't have five days in a row of classic rock," Basha told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show. "We get a headliner first," he said, "we have to find two other bands that are going to complement that band on that particular night. But then the next night, we don't want the same type of genre of music so we have to try to go get something else." Earlier this week the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival announced its lineup for July 11-13. Last month the Churchill Park Music Festival announced The Killers would be its headline act. Iceberg Alley was under fire last year because of a lack of female representation on the lineup. Basha says in 2024 it was unintentional, but it's a similar situation this year. British Columbia rock band Mother Mother is the only headliner offering up any gender diversity so far. Basha says festival organizers face unique barriers when it comes to booking performers because Newfoundland is an island. His team strategically picks featured acts based on where they're touring, he says. For example, if someone has a stop in Europe, they can play in St. John's on the way there. It may be hard to get there, but Basha says the island still has a distinct charm. "Every band who plays here thinks this place is magical," he said. Iceberg Alley also makes sure local artists are getting their time in the sun, says Basha, withTim Baker, Mick Davis and Thin Love, Damian Follett and Rum Ragged set to perform. A busy summer Newfoundland and Labrador is heading into a summer packed with events like the Canada Games and other music festivals but Basha says that doesn't complicate his job booking acts. He says he also works for the Churchill Park Music Festival and they co-ordinate to make sure they go after different performers for the separate festivals. "We're trying not to step on each other's toes. And Churchill Park is a totally different thing because that is a large outdoor venue," he said. "The bands that they're going after are way out of our wheelhouse because we would never be able to afford them, because we don't have the attendance." Basha says the lineup usually isn't announced until everything is set in stone. June 26 is the only day of the festival where the lineup hasn't been announced yet but Basha says it's coming soon.
CBC
18-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Municipal leaders say climate change needs to become a federal election priority
There's been a lot of talk about trade wars and tariffs this election cycle, and not a lot about climate change. It has prompted municipal leaders from across Canada to write an open letter to federal leaders asking them to focus on climate change. Sheilagh O'Leary, the deputy mayor of St. John's, told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show why she signed the letter.
